INCLUSION IN THE WORKFORCE FOR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES: A SPANISH POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) is the first Spanish university to provide training to young people with intellectual disabilities (ID) in the university environment, which qualifies them for inclusion in the workforce. This paper describes the UAM-Prodis Patronage Chair program, a successful model used at Spanish universities within the European Higher Education convention framework, which addresses the inclusion and occupational training of young people with ID in order to help them obtain employment. Outcome data for students with ID who completed the program at UAM during its first four years of implementation is reported. These outcomes indicate that the UAM-Prodis Patronage Chair program has become one of the main strategies to achieve independent living and community integration of people with ID through a postsecondary education option.